IntroductionVery limited data exist on normal age-related ECG variations in adolescents and no data have been published regarding the ECG anomalies induced by intensive training, which are relevant in pre-participation screening for sudden cardiac death prevention in the adolescent athletic population. The purpose of this study was to establish normal age-related electrocardiographic measurements (P wave duration, PR interval, QRS duration, QT, and QTc interval) grouped according to 2-year age intervals. MethodsA total of 2,151 consecutive healthy adolescent Soccer athletes (trained for a mean of 7.2 +/- 1.1 h per week, 100% male Caucasians, mean age 12.4 +/- 1.4 years, range 7-18) underwent pre-participation screening, which included ECG and transthoracic echocardiography in a single referral center. ResultsTheir heart rate progressively slowed as age increased (p < 0.001, ranging from 80.8 +/- 13.2 to 59.5 +/- 10.2 bpm), as expected. The P wave, PR interval, and QRS duration significantly increased in older age classes (p = 0.019, p = 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively), and after Bonferroni's correction, the difference remained significant in all age classes for QRS duration. The QTc interval diminished progressively with increasing age (p = 0.003) while the QT interval increased progressively (p < 0.001). ConclusionsSignificant variations in the normal ECG characteristics of young athletes exist between different age groups related to increasing age and training burden, thus, age-specific reference values could be adopted, as already done for echocardiographic measurements, and may help to further discriminate potentially pathologic conditions.

Age-Related Electrocardiographic Characteristics of Male Junior Soccer Athletes

Saglietto, Andrea;
2021-01-01

Abstract

IntroductionVery limited data exist on normal age-related ECG variations in adolescents and no data have been published regarding the ECG anomalies induced by intensive training, which are relevant in pre-participation screening for sudden cardiac death prevention in the adolescent athletic population. The purpose of this study was to establish normal age-related electrocardiographic measurements (P wave duration, PR interval, QRS duration, QT, and QTc interval) grouped according to 2-year age intervals. MethodsA total of 2,151 consecutive healthy adolescent Soccer athletes (trained for a mean of 7.2 +/- 1.1 h per week, 100% male Caucasians, mean age 12.4 +/- 1.4 years, range 7-18) underwent pre-participation screening, which included ECG and transthoracic echocardiography in a single referral center. ResultsTheir heart rate progressively slowed as age increased (p < 0.001, ranging from 80.8 +/- 13.2 to 59.5 +/- 10.2 bpm), as expected. The P wave, PR interval, and QRS duration significantly increased in older age classes (p = 0.019, p = 0.001, and p < 0.001, respectively), and after Bonferroni's correction, the difference remained significant in all age classes for QRS duration. The QTc interval diminished progressively with increasing age (p = 0.003) while the QT interval increased progressively (p < 0.001). ConclusionsSignificant variations in the normal ECG characteristics of young athletes exist between different age groups related to increasing age and training burden, thus, age-specific reference values could be adopted, as already done for echocardiographic measurements, and may help to further discriminate potentially pathologic conditions.
2021
adolescent; athlete's heart; electrocardiogram; exercise; nomograms; normal values; reference values
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12610/72805
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 2
  • Scopus 7
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 6
social impact